Friday, September 30, 2011
Stronger than ever
Liberty Square is bustling with activity yet again today as the occupation continues. The agenda is pretty full, with protesters demonstrating from 11am to noon on behalf of the Verizon workers and the raw deal they received, holding a union-busting protest from 1-2pm in support of the Teamsters from Sotheby's, and marching to the police headquarters at One Police Plaza this evening (5:30) to demand fair treatment from the NYPD. While I'm on the subject of the police, I have to commend the crew at Liberty Square in their approach to recent events. In a communique on www.occupywallst.org today, they made clear that they support the efforts of - and stand in solidarity with - the officers of the NYPD. They ask the same of the law enforcement community that they ask of corporations and government; responsibility and accountability. A few should not be able to tarnish the reputation of many, nor should they be immune from their standards and practices. Injustice is reprehensible and will no longer be tolerated by the masses, be it the injustice of a rogue officer or the injustice of an institution. The world is awakening to the idea that we do not need to sit idly by as we are trampled by the unjust; if we only dare to rise our voices will be heard.
You inspire us all, brothers and sisters of the revolution. Stand strong. The world is watching.
You inspire us all, brothers and sisters of the revolution. Stand strong. The world is watching.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
New at this
I'd like to take a moment out to apologize to anyone who may have tried commenting recently; this is my first shot at a blog and the default settings were such that only members could comment. One of my purposes with this blog is free discourse and exchange of ideas, so I'm glad I found that setting and rectified the problem. (I only hope the people that have visited thus far come back and say their peace..lol). In the spirit of Anonymous, I will not be deleting posts unless they are spam (and the filter should handle most of that), so let it rip. I want to see all sides of this event, the movement as a whole, and anything else you might need to share. We may not agree, but I feel strongly that widsom comes through broadening perspective.
Back to Wall Street
So yesterday was a big day (Day 11) in the city... Susan Sarandon showed up, learning about the struggle and offering helpful advice on diplomacy, and Dr. Cornell West drew an audience of 2,000 to Liberty Square with his speech at the General Assembly. Fox Business even did a piece on the occupation completely absent of any of the usual condescending tone (which I can't find to link here), but kinda blew it this morning by bringing Rep. Charles Rangel on and discounting the whole thing as some liberal nutjobs protesting about nothing. Ah, well. Rome wasn't built in a day, but the occupation presses on.
On a more hopeful note, OccupyBoston and OccupyChicago seem to be gaining momentum, so our brothers and sisters in Beantown and the Windy City are encouraged to drop by and be heard. The links are at the bottom of the page, and everyone is welcome to throw a few more my way if I've missed some (which I'm sure I have). As always, the main point is that I strongly encourage all of you to get involved on whatever level you can, if it's only to send links and info around your office, your favorite forum, or even just your dinner table. EVERY VOICE COUNTS. Stand strong, help each other, be heard.
Back to Wall Street
So yesterday was a big day (Day 11) in the city... Susan Sarandon showed up, learning about the struggle and offering helpful advice on diplomacy, and Dr. Cornell West drew an audience of 2,000 to Liberty Square with his speech at the General Assembly. Fox Business even did a piece on the occupation completely absent of any of the usual condescending tone (which I can't find to link here), but kinda blew it this morning by bringing Rep. Charles Rangel on and discounting the whole thing as some liberal nutjobs protesting about nothing. Ah, well. Rome wasn't built in a day, but the occupation presses on.
On a more hopeful note, OccupyBoston and OccupyChicago seem to be gaining momentum, so our brothers and sisters in Beantown and the Windy City are encouraged to drop by and be heard. The links are at the bottom of the page, and everyone is welcome to throw a few more my way if I've missed some (which I'm sure I have). As always, the main point is that I strongly encourage all of you to get involved on whatever level you can, if it's only to send links and info around your office, your favorite forum, or even just your dinner table. EVERY VOICE COUNTS. Stand strong, help each other, be heard.
Monday, September 26, 2011
There is a War on for Your Mind
When I first heard the Flobots utter those words, I felt them. I understood, amid the war-mongering rhetoric of the Bush administration, that there were people trying to sway my opinion and make me complicit to my own slavery. I had a huge number of ideas what I could do to resist this, but none were feasible. Aware or not, I was as helpless as the power elite wanted me to be.
As time went on, though, incremental change seeped in through the cracks. Groups formed under the radar, in unlikely places. The light of hope was given fuel, if only drops at a time. People fed up with status quo and the rape and plunder of a once-great nation began to seek each other out. Awareness spread like a wildfire across the internet, and individuals became groups became one.
This movement - and make no mistake, it is a movement - has been brewing in the collective unconscious for years now. My generation does not remember a time when hard work guaranteed a decent standard of living. My generation has not seen the opportunities our history books promised us. My generation does not know, personally, on a first name basis, the America that is sung about in near-religious chants or promoted by election-seeking politicians. What hope then is there, for my children to know these things?
This movement will work - is working - because where other plans attacked, it guides. Where others seek to dismantle, it seeks to build. "Lead by example", the wise have said. And so OccupyWallSt does. Beyond the marches and chants and drums, in that Square -Liberty Square- there is a microcosm to capture our imagination. A template to be followed. A true democracy of the people, by the people, for the people. In that small, damp place surrounded by towers built upon greed and theft, there lies the America you have heard about, and that's why it has no choice but to work.
Call your friends, email your cyber-buddies, grab some gear and hop a train to Liberty Square or whichever occupation is close to you if you'd like to be an American, for possibly the first time in your life.
As time went on, though, incremental change seeped in through the cracks. Groups formed under the radar, in unlikely places. The light of hope was given fuel, if only drops at a time. People fed up with status quo and the rape and plunder of a once-great nation began to seek each other out. Awareness spread like a wildfire across the internet, and individuals became groups became one.
This movement - and make no mistake, it is a movement - has been brewing in the collective unconscious for years now. My generation does not remember a time when hard work guaranteed a decent standard of living. My generation has not seen the opportunities our history books promised us. My generation does not know, personally, on a first name basis, the America that is sung about in near-religious chants or promoted by election-seeking politicians. What hope then is there, for my children to know these things?
This movement will work - is working - because where other plans attacked, it guides. Where others seek to dismantle, it seeks to build. "Lead by example", the wise have said. And so OccupyWallSt does. Beyond the marches and chants and drums, in that Square -Liberty Square- there is a microcosm to capture our imagination. A template to be followed. A true democracy of the people, by the people, for the people. In that small, damp place surrounded by towers built upon greed and theft, there lies the America you have heard about, and that's why it has no choice but to work.
Call your friends, email your cyber-buddies, grab some gear and hop a train to Liberty Square or whichever occupation is close to you if you'd like to be an American, for possibly the first time in your life.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The Beginning
Let me begin by saying I don't wish to discount any progress made or obstacles overcome by the brave souls struggling for freedom in such places as Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, etc. by claiming OccupyWallStreet is a starting point. I simply use it as a point of reference and my personal inspiration for this blog. I support all my brothers and sisters fighting for freedom and basic human rights globally, and hope to cover them here as space and time permit.
Back in July, the magazine Adbusters posted a bulletin on their website. It was a call to action for all the disgruntled Americans tired of watching their leaders squander resources for their own gain while the populace suffered. I'm sure we can all agree with this line of thinking on some level; after all, with so much wealth in the hands of the few the majority of us live well below acceptable standards. The call was met with great hope, but surely also skepticism.
#OCCUPYWALLSTREET
Then in August, more news:
Anonymous Joins #OCCUPYWALLSTREET
Anyone familiar with hacktivist group Anonymous knew things were becoming serious. Speculation abounded about just what might happen come that fateful September day. From the campaigns to out Scientology as a dangerous cult, to disrupting major corporations for their mistreatment of Wikileaks, to the embarrassing exposure of "security" giant HB Gary, Anonymous had proven themselves a force to be reckoned with both online and off. Something was sure to happen, though no one knew quite what to expect.
The Day
September 17 arrived, and it became apparent things would not go as planned. Parts of Wall St. near the stock exchange were barricaded off and there was a police presence waiting. The group had to move operations to nearby Zuccotti Park (since re-branded Liberty Square), under wary scrutiny of officers. The issue of permits was addressed by the police, and the situation was tense that first night. While estimates range from several hundred to 2,000 protesters, the numbers were a far cry from the 10,000 predicted. Adding to the frustration was the media - or more appropriately the lack of media. While Keith Olbermann and Michael Moore covered the protest in it's first few days, much of the mainstream news sources stayed far away from the occupation, not daring even a blurb at the bottom of the page. Those who bothered to mention it, like the New York Times, gave it a disheartening spin:
ABC News’ Olivia Katrandjian reports:
Video posted by the group Occupy Wall St from the eighth day of protests against corporations show police using Tasers and mace to control the crowd, which the group says has only made it more committed to keep up the demonstrations in lower Manhattan for the long haul.
Strengthened resolve
If you're keeping score, that's mainstream (ABC) coverage. As I sit here on the evening of Sunday the 25th, just a quick search of "Occupy Wall Street" turns up a huge numbers of stories about the occupation, from such sources as ABC, CNN, Fox, Google, The Guardian, Bloomberg, not to mention the flood of info on internet sources such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and the like. Without realizing it, NYPD accomplished two things valuable to the movement, albeit unintentionally. Their unnecessary violence, in one fell swoop, guaranteed the protesters occupying Wall Street are going nowhere. They have faced their challenge together and stood their ground, they have claimed Liberty Square as their sacred battleground. Also, the mainstream news has given attention to their cause, because as even a casual purveyor of the evening news knows, violence means ratings.
But why?
If you're here, you probably already know why this is happening, but a little clarification never hurt. According to the Sociology Department at UCSC as of 2007, the top 20% of America's population owned 85% of the wealth, leaving the other 80% to scramble for 15% of the country's money. And we all know things haven't gotten any better since 2007. The number of people with money that can pass laws to regulate how you live is even smaller, leading to the 1% vs. 99% theme of the occupation. With huge banks bailed out, terribly unethical corporations bailed out (and then rewarding themselves bonuses) and even huge, faceless companies granted personhood so they can do things like contributing endlessly to campaigns and political causes, it's not hard to see that America 2011 is very different from the one our forefathers knew. America today is no longer a democracy. Oligarchy is a power structure in which power rests with a small group of people. Plutocracy is rule by wealth, or power given to the wealthy. Plutarchy is the term for a plutocratic oligarchy, and like it or not, that is what you have in America today.
The point
If you've stayed with me this long, you're no doubt wondering, "great.. so what's your point?" Do something. Now. No, seriously. All across this country people are starting movements. So far reports are coming in that people are starting OccupyChicago and OccupyBoston, and other movements in solidarity with the Wall Street protesters. Send food, or blankets, if you can afford to. Or just email and Facebook and tweet everyone you know... even a few you don't. This movement can achieve what so many other have failed, but it needs people. People of conviction, willing to take steps to take this country back from the people that have stolen it from us. The two-party system, the Federal Reserve, bailouts for the rich, corporate personhood, these are all schemes - and unconstitutional schemes at that - to rob you of your voice. The safeguards against corruption run amok are gone. You are the only thing that stands between America and a slave state.
Back in July, the magazine Adbusters posted a bulletin on their website. It was a call to action for all the disgruntled Americans tired of watching their leaders squander resources for their own gain while the populace suffered. I'm sure we can all agree with this line of thinking on some level; after all, with so much wealth in the hands of the few the majority of us live well below acceptable standards. The call was met with great hope, but surely also skepticism.
#OCCUPYWALLSTREET
Then in August, more news:
Anonymous Joins #OCCUPYWALLSTREET
Anyone familiar with hacktivist group Anonymous knew things were becoming serious. Speculation abounded about just what might happen come that fateful September day. From the campaigns to out Scientology as a dangerous cult, to disrupting major corporations for their mistreatment of Wikileaks, to the embarrassing exposure of "security" giant HB Gary, Anonymous had proven themselves a force to be reckoned with both online and off. Something was sure to happen, though no one knew quite what to expect.
The Day
September 17 arrived, and it became apparent things would not go as planned. Parts of Wall St. near the stock exchange were barricaded off and there was a police presence waiting. The group had to move operations to nearby Zuccotti Park (since re-branded Liberty Square), under wary scrutiny of officers. The issue of permits was addressed by the police, and the situation was tense that first night. While estimates range from several hundred to 2,000 protesters, the numbers were a far cry from the 10,000 predicted. Adding to the frustration was the media - or more appropriately the lack of media. While Keith Olbermann and Michael Moore covered the protest in it's first few days, much of the mainstream news sources stayed far away from the occupation, not daring even a blurb at the bottom of the page. Those who bothered to mention it, like the New York Times, gave it a disheartening spin:
Gunning for Wall Street, With Faulty Aim
Michael Kirby Smith for The New York Times
TO THE STREET Many downtown workers encountered demonstrators last week at Zuccotti Park, some with a group called Occupy Wall Street.
By GINIA BELLAFANTE
Published: September 23, 2011
By late morning on Wednesday, Occupy Wall Street, a noble but fractured and airy movement of rightly frustrated young people, had a default ambassador in a half-naked woman who called herself Zuni Tikka. A blonde with a marked likeness to Joni Mitchell and a seemingly even stronger wish to burrow through the space-time continuum and hunker down in 1968, Ms. Tikka had taken off all but her cotton underwear and was dancing on the north side of Zuccotti Park, facing Liberty Street, just west of Broadway. Tourists stopped to take pictures; cops smiled, and the insidiously favorable tax treatment of private equity and hedge-fund managers was looking as though it would endure.
The occupation continues
It might have appeared to the outside world at this point that the occupation was nothing but a rag-tag group of disaffected youths without purpose or drive, if one were to believe the media. But those who shunned the mainstream in favor of more independent sources knew better. The people at Liberty Square are the 99%. They are the students and the teachers, the workers and the jobless, the average citizen that knows their voice is not heard by those who run the country. Silent and non-existent to the elite, the billionaires, the 1% who hold this nation's wealth. This nation began because people believed a person should not be forced to hand their wage to those who refuse to represent them. Those people fought for that ideal, and America was born of their blood. Their courage inspired thirteen colonies of citizens to rise against the most powerful empire on earth. When have you felt represented by your elected officials? Search your memory, objectively, honestly, and ask yourself if you've felt either party had your best interests at heart.
And so the occupation continued, through the rain and under the watchful eye of the NYPD. Numbers grew as the first week went on, and casual observers began to understand the protestors were in it for the long haul. At some point the local constabulary must have begun to sense this as well. Things were about to take a turn.
Brutal Saturday
The occupation continues
It might have appeared to the outside world at this point that the occupation was nothing but a rag-tag group of disaffected youths without purpose or drive, if one were to believe the media. But those who shunned the mainstream in favor of more independent sources knew better. The people at Liberty Square are the 99%. They are the students and the teachers, the workers and the jobless, the average citizen that knows their voice is not heard by those who run the country. Silent and non-existent to the elite, the billionaires, the 1% who hold this nation's wealth. This nation began because people believed a person should not be forced to hand their wage to those who refuse to represent them. Those people fought for that ideal, and America was born of their blood. Their courage inspired thirteen colonies of citizens to rise against the most powerful empire on earth. When have you felt represented by your elected officials? Search your memory, objectively, honestly, and ask yourself if you've felt either party had your best interests at heart.
And so the occupation continued, through the rain and under the watchful eye of the NYPD. Numbers grew as the first week went on, and casual observers began to understand the protestors were in it for the long haul. At some point the local constabulary must have begun to sense this as well. Things were about to take a turn.
Brutal Saturday
‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protests Turn Violent; Video Shows Police Macing Women
(Tina Fineberg/AP Photo)
Video posted by the group Occupy Wall St from the eighth day of protests against corporations show police using Tasers and mace to control the crowd, which the group says has only made it more committed to keep up the demonstrations in lower Manhattan for the long haul.
Strengthened resolve
If you're keeping score, that's mainstream (ABC) coverage. As I sit here on the evening of Sunday the 25th, just a quick search of "Occupy Wall Street" turns up a huge numbers of stories about the occupation, from such sources as ABC, CNN, Fox, Google, The Guardian, Bloomberg, not to mention the flood of info on internet sources such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and the like. Without realizing it, NYPD accomplished two things valuable to the movement, albeit unintentionally. Their unnecessary violence, in one fell swoop, guaranteed the protesters occupying Wall Street are going nowhere. They have faced their challenge together and stood their ground, they have claimed Liberty Square as their sacred battleground. Also, the mainstream news has given attention to their cause, because as even a casual purveyor of the evening news knows, violence means ratings.
But why?
If you're here, you probably already know why this is happening, but a little clarification never hurt. According to the Sociology Department at UCSC as of 2007, the top 20% of America's population owned 85% of the wealth, leaving the other 80% to scramble for 15% of the country's money. And we all know things haven't gotten any better since 2007. The number of people with money that can pass laws to regulate how you live is even smaller, leading to the 1% vs. 99% theme of the occupation. With huge banks bailed out, terribly unethical corporations bailed out (and then rewarding themselves bonuses) and even huge, faceless companies granted personhood so they can do things like contributing endlessly to campaigns and political causes, it's not hard to see that America 2011 is very different from the one our forefathers knew. America today is no longer a democracy. Oligarchy is a power structure in which power rests with a small group of people. Plutocracy is rule by wealth, or power given to the wealthy. Plutarchy is the term for a plutocratic oligarchy, and like it or not, that is what you have in America today.
The point
If you've stayed with me this long, you're no doubt wondering, "great.. so what's your point?" Do something. Now. No, seriously. All across this country people are starting movements. So far reports are coming in that people are starting OccupyChicago and OccupyBoston, and other movements in solidarity with the Wall Street protesters. Send food, or blankets, if you can afford to. Or just email and Facebook and tweet everyone you know... even a few you don't. This movement can achieve what so many other have failed, but it needs people. People of conviction, willing to take steps to take this country back from the people that have stolen it from us. The two-party system, the Federal Reserve, bailouts for the rich, corporate personhood, these are all schemes - and unconstitutional schemes at that - to rob you of your voice. The safeguards against corruption run amok are gone. You are the only thing that stands between America and a slave state.
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